Turning Points
by InaLinger - CinaBard
Summary: One-Shot to episode 16 'Sonata' - my version of what happened after the door closed.


_Here's the next of my one-shots I wrote a long time ago. Maybe some of you will be a bit disappointed for this had no mature content – but in my imagination that's the only way, how things could go on with Mick and Beth after the door closed in 'Sonata'. I hope you still enjoy it and maybe leave me a small comment. Have a great weekend, yours Jenna_

_A big hug to Susan, who beta read this One-shot again!_

_P.S. For all those who would also like to read something else written by me and didn't notice so far: I've started to post my first own novel on fictionpress . com. You can find the link in my profile._

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><p><strong>Turning points<strong>

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><p>"<em>Love is the only thing that grows when we waste it."<em>

_(Ricarda Huch)_

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><p>To feel her that was something new. He had always seen her, the delicate features of her face, as they had changed over the years, had become more mature, without losing their sweetness; her soft, golden hair, sometimes short, sometimes long, sometimes in a different color, but always a little hard to tame; her body, which had lost its childhood shapes quite early, had become more curved, firm, female and had caused the first confusion inside Mick.<p>

And he had heard her, at first only from a distance, the gentle child's voice that had become deeper at some point, more expressive and was now since a few months quite close, sometimes_ too_ close, even in his dreams. He had learned to hear her different moods in her voice, without that she had to say much, had grown accustomed to this voice, longing for it as soon as he did not hear it at least once a day, and fearing it when it got this soft, affectionate sound when talking with him, this tone, which caused goose bumps all over his body and gave him hot and cold showers at the same time.

He had smelled her, had learned to recognize her scent within a few feet away, also perceiving with it, how she was. Her smell… he also had had to learn to cope with his addiction to it, to not inhale it every time she was close to him, enjoy it or even push his nose into her soft hair.

To feel her, so close, so warm, so intense, without scruples, without fear, without feeling guilty – this was something completely new. Of course, he had touched her before, had held her in his arms, but never for a long time, never with the feeling that it was right, that she belonged here, here in his arms.

It was a different feel. No feel skin on skin, no palpation with fingers; it was rather as if their bodies would suddenly perceive each other in the most intensive way, as if in doing so their souls would start to pulsate with each other, would merge, as fate had ordained – all along. He had wished, had longed for it, but he had never expected that it would be possible one day, that he could indeed overcome his own inhibitions, the deep fear inside him and finally win the battle against himself.

His hand slid gently up and down her back again, as many times before, while the thumb of his other hand gently stroking the back of her hand, lying on his chest. He could feel every single one of her fingers on his chest, soft and warm, the sweet weight of her relaxed body, which rested largely on his, enveloping him in this wonderful warmth and giving him the feel as if it would be his, as if he himself was a normal human.

Mick closed his eyes, listened with a deep sense of satisfaction to her regular breathing, the quiet beating of her heart. He felt so well and in balance with himself as he had never felt in a long time. It was as if suddenly everything was as it always should have been, as if he had been completely out of line before and had now returned home at last, was where he belonged: at her side, as a part of her life as she was a part of his being, had always been. Thereby it all had looked a few hours ago very different. A few hours ago he had felt as if his world completely collapsed, as if someone was sucking all the air out of his surrounding and let him suffocate in agony. In his long life Mick had already lost some people he had loved with all his heart. But it had never felt that way, never just a few words had shaken, had torn his heart so much.

"I don't think I can do this anymore," she had said and with these words had pulled the rug out from under his feet, had made him stagger inside, had made him so terribly helpless. She had not said it verbatim that she wanted to leave him, wanted to break off contact with him, but he had known that she meant this, had seen it in her eyes filled with tears, had heard it in her trembling voice. He had fought for a moment, had searched for words that could stir her from her resolve, could make her take back her words, but his mind had stopped working. There had only been this terrible pain in his chest, this huge lump in his throat, this burning in his eyes that had made it impossible to stay with her, to rebel against these words. Instead, he had left her, had fled from both their tears and desperation. But the connection to her had been too strong, had made him pause in the floor, pressing his forehead against the cool wall, rising up against her decision and his own resignation. Exactly in that moment he had become aware that he himself once again was in his life at a turning point, a turning point that could either throw him in a deep, black hole from which he would come out barely on his own, or could lead him into a new life, a life full of challenges and pitfalls, but also wonderful strength-giving times with the woman at his side, whom he loved so much – out of this loneliness and self-imposed isolation. And again it was the same person who had led him to this point, forced him to a decision.

Twenty-three years ago he had changed his life completely, had stopped to drink blood directly from people, had sworn to make up for all he had done to the humans so far, by helping them, by using his vampire abilities for others, for good . All just because a four-year-old girl had called him her 'angel', had seen something in him that he had long since believed to have lost. She had given him back the faith in the good in the world and had made him realize that not the blood in his veins, not his innermost urges determined who he really was, but he himself; that not his changed body, his superhuman powers made him a monster, but his actions. And he had realized that he himself had it in his hand to do something meaningful with his life. She had given him back his belief in himself, had become his inward urge, even if he had seen her only from a distance, had become a part of her life only from a far, secretly protecting her. He had always thought that she had never perceived him, had never felt that he was there, but now he knew he had been wrong. Though she had never seen him directly, she had somehow felt him, had set up a connection with him, without ever having direct contact with him, a connection that just had _had _to bring them together one day, on that fateful day at the fountain.

Beth took a deep, satisfied breath, as if she had just read his thoughts, and the warm breath that blew across his chest, penetrating through the fabric of his shirt so seductively, let a pleasant shiver run down his back. To lie here on the couch with her, to hold her in his arms and feel her body so close, so warm, so soft against his own was definitely something he could get used to, what he would always love.

Many things would change again now. He had never expected to live at some point again in a relationship with someone, had not been prepared for this. A few days ago he had still felt a slight panic at the thought of letting someone take really part in his life, of giving Beth more room in his world, letting her see who he really was. Not only because he had been afraid that she might shy away from his many weaknesses and bad habits, but also because he had feared that she might be very quickly annoyed by his clumsiness, his hesitant behavior.

The many years he had spent without a partner, had changed him, had made him forget a little how to work it to get a serious relationship off the ground. And the awareness about this had made him nervous, and had let him behave like a teenager who fell seriously in love for the first time in his life. It had been hard for him to approach her again after the first kiss, to date her, to show her how much he longed for her closeness. Thereby he had felt so clearly how open she was for any kind of approach. Perhaps exactly this had scared him. And of course he had again clamped at his other side, had fooled himself in believing that his fears, his reluctance solely arouse from fearing that he was endangering her in some way, that he had to protect her from the world of vampires. And with that he had pushed her once again away from him, had blocked her out and eventually made her more scared than was good for her, than was necessary.

Of course, the world of vampires was dangerous for frail humans like her. Of this he was also now still aware of. But he had long since involved her in this, had opened the door to this world for her a crack wide and in doing so had lured her to it. It was his duty now to open it completely, to show her what was behind it and prepare her for the dangers, because nothing was more dangerous than slipping clueless into this world. He could not let her go, never again. It would tear him inside and he had not the strength anymore to fight against his own needs. So he had to help her to understand his world, the vampire inside him, had to let her take part in everything that moved him, his presence, his future, his past. And this he had done. This night, at this point in his eventful life he had opened up to someone completely for the first time in his life.

It had been four words that had changed everything, four words from deep inside his heart and he had never been so serious with them, it had never moved himself so much, had upset him so emotionally to say them. There had been this flashing in Beth's eyes, this shock and at the same time this deep affection for him and he had simply known that she felt the same, had known that for both of them there would now be no turning back again.

She had kissed him – full of devotion, so eagerly, so moved. There had been no sexual arousal, no passion, only infinite love and longing and the strong will to come to grips with all their problems, to be together with him, no matter what problems would still wait for them. And he had responded to the kiss the same way, had taken her into his arms and had closed the door behind them, locking out the rest of the world from their happiness at least for this moment.

The need to get even closer had grown with each new, dedicated kiss, just as the urge to speak about all the things that had happened and would happen.

"I… I didn't want you to leave," she had whispered against his lips, her hands on his face, her forehead pressed against his, breathless, churned up.

"I know," he had returned softly, and had stolen her another short kiss. "And _I_ didn't want to leave…"

"I am so glad you didn't."

His hands had moved to her face, had caressed her cheeks. "I could never do this, Beth," he had whispered in a husky voice. "Without you I'm not complete…"

Her eyes had filled with tears again and she had grabbed his face more firmly and had covered it with numerous small kisses, until he had finally caught her lips and had kissed her more deeply and intimately. Everything from then on could have went into quite a different, a lot more physical direction, but somehow halfway on their way to the bedroom they had started to talk again. They had continued to exchange about their feelings and fears, as they both had felt that they were not really ready to get intimate with each other, that it was important to first get rid of all their concerns, to discuss the events of the day and really get involved with each other. At some point they had found themselves on the couch, snuggled close together because this intimate physical contact gave them both the necessary strength to be completely honest with each other and also answer the questions of the other one that were painful.

It had been exhausting, but it had also done them incredibly well, had been so settling and in the end so calming that bit by bit this wonderful feeling of deep satisfaction and security had ensued. A feeling that had made it possible that they had both completely relaxed and had felt so much closer to each other than ever before.

Mick now had no doubts anymore. He now knew that Beth belonged to him – forever. Nothing of what he had told her had been able to frighten her, to change her deep love for him and he loved her now even more than before, loved her so much that it almost hurt.

His eyes wandered over the relaxed features of her face, fixed each line on his mind; those long eyelashes, the cute nose, her rosy lips slightly swollen from the many kisses that they had had to exchange again and again during their talk. He felt as if his heart almost overflowed with affection for this wonderful, warm, incomparable woman and his arms glided gently around her soft body, pressing her even tighter to him. He did not want to wake her, but the impulse to feel her even more intimate had gotten just too strong. Beth sucked audibly air into her nose and moving her head on his chest. A charming smile played about her lips, just before she opened her eyes, the finest, deepest, kindest eyes of the world. He had the feeling of wanting to drown in them, in all these warm feelings for him. What a pleasure this would be…

"You're still here," she whispered after a few seconds and her hand moved over his chest, as if she had to feel if she was not mistaken.

"I am," he whispered back, raising his hand to her face, running his thumb gently over her delicate skin. "This I was, and I will be forever, Beth."

Beth's smile became even happier and she raised her hand to his chin, stroked very gently with her fingertips over his lips. "My vampire," she whispered, looking back at him. "My guardian angel," she added. "My world…"

There it was again, the burning in his eyes that he had felt that night far too often, but this time it issued from a positive feeling, the feeling of having made something right, of having gained something infinitely important, of having made the right decision. His life had taken a new path. A path in a new adventure and this time he felt strong and motivated enough to really engage in it. With Beth at his side he could succeed in everything. With Beth at his side he even didn't fear eternity anymore.


End file.
